


Stay with Me

by asroarke



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Grounders, Angst, F/M, Grounder AU, POV Bellamy, Pining!Bellamy, azgeda!bellamy, floukru!clarke, grounder!bellamy, grounder!clarke, minor fluff, spy!bellamy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-26
Updated: 2018-03-26
Packaged: 2019-04-08 15:43:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14108679
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asroarke/pseuds/asroarke
Summary: It took all of two seconds for her front door to swing open. Bellamy ducked down even farther in a panic, but Clarke didn’t spot him. She wasn’t even looking in his direction. When he heard her first sob, his heart ached for her. He knew all too well what it was like to see someone he loved get sick like that and have no way to help them.Bellamy clenched his eyes shut, realizing what he had to do. He needed to get to Floukru and they needed a healer. This wasn’t what Nia wanted him to do… but it could get the job done. And if he were to approach any of them, it would have to be Clarke. It was clear that she had a big heart, enough to travel all this way and endure that Finn kid to save her friend. But she was clever too, the kind of person who he could negotiate with.After sucking in a deep breath, Bellamy stepped out from behind the tree, letting a twig snap under his foot as he stepped toward Clarke. She jerked up, already pulling out her blade.Grounder AU inspired by Bob and Eliza saying at Conageddon that if everyone was raised on the ground, Bellamy and Octavia would be Azgeda and Clarke would be Floukru.





	Stay with Me

**Author's Note:**

> I got this idea from a tweet from @panbellamy: grounder au where bell is sent to spy on florkru but falls in love with clarke the moment he see her
> 
> Thanks for this idea by the way! I hope you guys like it! It's not so much a love at first sight as much as a "oh shit she's really beautiful but I have a mission to focus on so stop thinking about her pretty eyes" kind of situation. 
> 
> I'm not the best at canonverse, but I tried. Be gentle with me. There isn't a lot about Floukru out there, so I improvised.

Bellamy was convinced he was seeing things when he first made out a small boat on the horizon. He had been camping out in the woods for weeks, not sure when someone from Floukru would come to shore. Queen Nia only figured out where they arrived, not when they would arrive… meaning Bellamy had spent far too much time waiting by himself.

He packed up his things quickly, wanting to be ready to move as soon they did. Bellamy wasn’t the best Azgedan spy, but since Octavia ran off to be with Lincoln and Echo was still missing, Bellamy was really Nia’s best option.

He watched carefully, making out four people on the small boat… wait, five. He didn’t see the man lying down with dark hair, looking like he was barely staying awake. It struck Bellamy that he actually didn’t know why they were coming to shore. He had seen a few boats in the distance, but they were just out there to fish, not come to shore. From what Nia had said about Luna, she very rarely sends her people out, reserving it for necessary trades and absolute emergencies.

As the boat got closer, he was able to make each of them out better. Three men, all of whom had dark hair. The one who was lying down was clearly not well… sick, if not dying. That must be the reason they were here.

Two women were in the boat with them, one of whom was holding hands with the man who was talking. Her hair was thrown up into a sleek ponytail, nodding along to what he was saying. The fifth passenger was sitting beside the sick one, gripping his hand tightly as she explained something to him. She kept having to push her hair back behind her ears since her golden tresses kept falling in her face. There was something very soft about the way she was caring for her friend.

Bellamy made sure to tuck himself out of sight. He knew they hadn’t seen him yet, and he’d like to keep it that way. Within a few minutes, he could actually hear them.

“There is no way that he will make it that far,” the woman in the ponytail pointed out.

“Well, we can’t just leave him by the shore.”

“Okay, I have an idea,” one of the men announced. “Monty and you can stay with Jasper while Clarke and I go.”

“I don’t think that’s a great idea,” the blonde chimed in, a bit sharper than she had appeared a few minutes ago. “Maybe I should stay with Monty, and you and Raven can go.”

“Clarke, you’re the only one who remembers the way to Niylah’s,” the man that Bellamy now thinks is called Monty argued. Bellamy watched the blonde’s… Clarke’s… expression shift, almost like she was thinking too hard. “And Finn’s the best with a sword, so he needs to go with you in case you run into trouble.”

Conversation dwindled as they drug their small boat up to the shore, but he couldn’t help but notice the nervous look in those blue eyes of Clarke’s. It wasn’t there before her companions suggested she go off with that Finn fellow alone.

Bellamy snapped his attention back to the last member of their group, the one who was on death’s door. Bellamy still hadn’t caught his name. None of the other four were who Nia sent Bellamy to find… but if this fifth person happened to be Derrick, then Bellamy wouldn’t have to go to the trouble of actually going to Floukru himself. Although, Bellamy seriously doubted this lanky boy with floppy dark hair was the kind of man who fled Polis with vital information about the Commander. He looked more like the kind who fled to Floukru because he had no family left, something Bellamy could sympathize with.

“Princess, we need to get going before the sun sets,” Finn called out, and Clarke’s head snapped in his direction, almost warningly. Finn swallowed before stepping toward the trees, a little too close to where Bellamy was hiding.

“Make sure you keep drinking this,” Clarke said to her sick friend, handing him a canteen.

“I’ll make sure he does,” Raven jumped in, and Clarke flashed a nervous look in Finn’s direction. “Jasper’s tougher than he looks. Don’t worry,” she teased, and Bellamy let out a breath. Jasper… not the man he was looking for either.

In a huff, Clarke started marching toward Finn. She brushed right past him, expecting him to follow… which he did. Bellamy shot another look at the other three, seeing their exhausted faces relax beside each other, before following after these two.

“Clarke,” Finn called out, but she didn’t stop moving. “Hey, will you just talk to me?”

“No. We’ll get there faster if you just shut up,” she spat, very different from the warm way she was with Jasper on the boat and on the shore.

“Clarke.”

“Stop,” she warned, whipping her head around, and Bellamy ducked quickly behind the nearest tree. “I am only making this trek with you for Jasper, no other reason. Got it?”

“I know I should have talked to you about Raven, but that doesn’t change how I—”

“She loves you. So just forget about me, okay? Now, let’s get going,” she snapped, and Bellamy waited until he heard their footsteps moving before he stepped out from behind the tree.

The rest of their hike was done in silence, but it was clear that this Finn kid was infatuated with Clarke. Bellamy saw the appeal, of course. She was beautiful and striking with those golden curls and shining blue eyes, not like many women Bellamy had seen in his life. And he already could tell there was a soft side of her that loved her friends based on how she was with Jasper, and a tough side of her that didn’t let herself get pushed around. He couldn’t blame the kid for trailing behind her with that love-sick look in his eyes. If Bellamy were a bit younger and more reckless, he’d probably let himself fall for this girl too.

Bellamy finally recognized where they were heading, remembering that he stopped here once before to trade on his way back to Azgeda. He waited until the two of them headed inside before creeping up to the building, hiding behind some shrubbery and pressing his ear to the wall.

He could barely make out their muffled conversation, but it was mostly about Jasper’s symptoms anyway… not anything Bellamy needed. It wasn’t like they were going to reveal how one gets into Floukru while speaking with this merchant… but he needed to listen just in case.

Then, he heard Niylah explain that she didn’t know how to help heal him… that all she had was something that could make him feel less pain. It took all of two seconds for her front door to swing open. Bellamy ducked down even farther in a panic, but Clarke didn’t spot him. She wasn’t even looking in his direction. When he heard her first sob, his heart ached for her. He knew all too well what it was like to see someone he loved get sick like that and have no way to help them.

Finn followed after Clarke, trying to pull her in for a hug before she pushed away. Bellamy gritted his teeth, remembering to stay hidden… even though he wanted to punch this kid for continuing to get too close to Clarke when she clearly did not want him to. “Maybe we can go into Trikru and find a healer,” Finn offered, and Bellamy rolled his eyes. The five of them clearly fled to Floukru because they were done with war. Heading right into Trikru, no matter what the reason, would be a foolish mistake.

“Anya will take my head if I so much as step too close to Trikru,” Clarke spat, and Bellamy blinked a few times. This girl knew Anya… which meant this girl was not just some orphan running off to Floukru. She had been in the worst of it all.

Bellamy followed them quietly as they made their way back to their friends, listening to Finn continue to list off impossible ideas. Every word out of his mouth made Clarke’s expression colder, a bit more distant.

He started to panic, realizing that if there was no hope for their friend that they would leave and go back to Floukru before Bellamy found out how to get there. He would have to wait weeks, maybe months to have another opportunity like this.

“Maybe there is another healer nearby,” Finn finally said, and she rolled her eyes. Bellamy blinked a few times, realizing there was another healer nearby. Lincoln. They could go to Lincoln… but Bellamy couldn’t tell them that.

When they got closer back to camp, Clarke froze in her tracks. “What’s going on?” Finn snapped.

“Can you tell them? I don’t think I can,” she whispered somberly. “Just give him the herbs for the pain and explain what Niylah said… and I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

“Clarke.”

“I just need a few minutes, okay?” she pleaded, and Finn bit his lip as he contemplated this. After a few beats, he nodded before continuing on without her. Clarke leaned her back against the tree, letting out a soft sigh.

Bellamy clenched his eyes shut, realizing what he had to do. He needed to get to Floukru and they needed a healer. This wasn’t what Nia wanted him to do… but it could get the job done. And if he were to approach any of them, it would have to be Clarke. It was clear that she had a big heart, enough to travel all this way and endure that Finn kid to save her friend. But she was clever too, the kind of person who he could negotiate with.

After sucking in a deep breath, Bellamy stepped out from behind the tree, letting a twig snap under his foot as he stepped toward Clarke. She jerked up, already pulling out her blade.

Bellamy dropped his to the ground, holding his hands up defensively. “I know a healer nearby,” he said calmly, and her wide eyes narrowed at him curiously, shifting from fear to skepticism quickly.

“You’ve been spying on us,” she realized, and he nodded. “Why?”

“I want to go to Floukru,” he replied honestly, praying she didn’t prod any further.

“Floukru is a place for people who are done with fighting. Something tells me that isn’t you,” she accused, and he raised his eyebrows at her.

“How would you know? You and I just met,” he teased, but she kept her blade aimed firmly in his direction. There was not a doubt in his mind that she would kill him if she thought she had to… which is why he needed to convince her that he wasn’t the threat he appeared to be. “My mother died a few years ago, and now my sister has left too. I have no one and I don’t want to find someone else only to potentially lose them too with the wars that Azgeda likes to rage.” Technically, none of that was a lie. He didn’t have anyone anymore. His sister didn’t need his protection anymore, and it wasn’t like he could have gone with her. If Indra found out Bellamy was near Trikru, he was as good as dead.

Clarke bit her lip, still eyeing him suspiciously.

“The healer’s name is Lincoln. He is who my sister ran off to be with. I can take you to him,” Bellamy offered. “He could help your friend.”

“And in exchange you want me to bring you, the man who has been spying on me, to Floukru?” she snapped, and he nodded.

“I was only spying so I could find out how to get there. I mean you and your friends no harm,” he explained.

“This healer… is he close by?” she asked.

“Just outside of Trikru’s border. Only a few hours from here,” he said, cautiously stepping toward her.

“Just so we are clear, I have no problem with killing you if I find out you are lying to me,” she warned, and he couldn’t help but smirk. A brave princess, indeed.

“I am well aware of that,” he teased, and she finally put down her blade.

 

* * *

 

The hike to Lincoln’s took longer than Bellamy thought, but that was only because Jasper needed very frequent breaks. It was clear that none of them actually trusted Bellamy, least of all Finn. He kept trying to, not very quietly, explain to Clarke what a horrible idea this was or argue that Luna would be furious that Clarke brought an Azgedan to Floukru.

Perhaps it was out of spite, or maybe just because she wanted to keep a better eye on him, but Clarke stayed closest to Bellamy during most of the trek. She didn’t speak much… not that Finn left much room for anyone to talk. But Bellamy’s eyes kept drifting over to Clarke, always caught off guard by the pleasant way her lips formed a smirk or how her eyes seemed to shine even once the sun set. He tried his best to keep his eyes ahead of him, not to be distracted by her beauty… but it was a losing battle, something Bellamy was not used to.

Of all of them, Jasper was actually the nicest to him… probably because Bellamy was giving him a way to actually stay alive. Monty was starting to warm up to him in his own quiet way… and Bellamy found that he sort of liked all of them… minus Finn. They seemed like their own family of sorts, sometimes bickering in the way that he often would with Octavia.

When they got to Lincoln’s, Octavia nearly screamed with excitement upon seeing him, throwing her arms around his shoulders to pull him in for a hug. “I missed you so much, big brother,” she grinned, and Bellamy tucked his head into her shoulder. God, he forgot what it was like to see a friendly face.

“I missed you too, but we can catch up in a minute. Is Lincoln around? We need a healer,” he explained, and Octavia’s eyes drifted to the rest of them in confusion.

“Lincoln,” she called out, eyeing Jasper worriedly. Bellamy shot Octavia a warning look, trying to let her know that he would explain to her later.

Bellamy waited until everyone was settled and Lincoln was taking care of Jasper to pull Octavia back outside. “I know I probably shouldn’t have brought them here,” he apologized.

“No, you did the right thing. That kid was about to die,” Octavia said, but there was still a question in her voice.

“Nia sent me to spy on them,” he whispered, and she clenched her jaw. “It’s not like it was a dangerous mission. I just have to get to Floukru and I made a deal with Clarke that if I helped her heal her friend that she would bring me there.”

“And how are you going to get out of there?” she huffed, and Bellamy bit his lip. He wasn’t sure. He had no idea what to expect out of Floukru. He just knew it wouldn’t be an easy exit.

“They have boats. I could just steal one in the dead of night once I have what I came for,” he murmured. When he was met with silence, he raised an eyebrow at her.

“Why are you doing this? You don’t even like spying or fighting. You just did it all these years to protect me. Why are you still doing this?” she pleaded, and Bellamy clenched his jaw. He didn’t have a good answer to that. It was just what he had always done, and he didn’t know how to stop. Everything else familiar to him was gone. But he knew how to do this.

He opened his mouth to speak, but Octavia’s eyes drifted behind him. He turned to see Clarke staring right at him with those wide blue eyes.

“I’ll give you two a moment,” Octavia mumbled, stepping around Clarke on her way back to Lincoln.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt. I’m sure you wanted to catch up with your sister,” she apologized, but Bellamy waved it off. Actually, he was glad she interrupted because he had no idea what he was going to say. “But if Jasper is feeling up to it, we will all head back to Floukru in the morning.”

“All? You sure your friends are alright with me coming with you?” he asked, and she rolled her eyes at him.

“I didn’t ask them for permission. You’re coming,” she said definitively, and he cocked his head to the side. “But Luna will get to decide if you can stay.” Bellamy nodded along, already deciding to run through his plea to Luna a few times in his head before he gets there. “And… thank you for bringing us to Lincoln.”

“Of course. I couldn’t let your friend die just because you don’t know any healers,” he teased, and he swears that almost got a smile out of her. He liked that almost smile of hers… probably a little too much.

 

* * *

 

Clarke handed him a strange vile and ordered him to drink it. “Am I allowed to decline?” he teased, watching as the others got onboard the boat.

“You can, but then you cannot go to Floukru,” she replied, and he looked back down at the liquid. “It won’t kill you. It will just make you sleep for a few hours.” He narrowed his eyes at her. “Don’t you trust me?” she teased, and he rolled his eyes.

“You held a blade to me and said you would kill me if you had to. You can’t blame me for not trusting you,” he muttered.

“And you spied on me. I don’t trust you either,” she smirked. “But you helped Jasper and I owe you. Drink it and I will take you to Floukru. You have my word.” She gestured with her head for him to follow her onto the boat, and he bit his lip as he sat down beside her. She raised an eyebrow at him, looking at the vile he still hadn’t drunk.

“This better not kill me,” he sighed, as he tilted his head back and drank it, shuddering slightly at the taste. He blinked a few times, not feeling any immediate pain. But after a few seconds, he felt numb, struggling to keep his eyes open. He swayed a little before falling over.

“You’re okay,” he heard Clarke whisper, but she sounded far away. He turned his head up to see her looking down at him… and he realized that he had fallen into her lap. He tried to open his mouth to say something, but he was too tired. Within seconds, his eyes fell shut and the last thing he felt was Clarke’s fingers brushing through his hair.

 

* * *

 

“There is a reason no one from Azgeda ever comes to Floukru. They are not the kind of people who know how to give up fighting,” a woman snapped, and Bellamy blinked his eyes open. He was lying on his back, the ground cold and hard beneath him.

“Ordinarily, I would agree with you. But he chose to help us when he very well could have threatened his way to getting here,” Clarke said, and slowly, Bellamy started to remember where he must be. He looked around the dark room, looking for any clues as to what he had gotten himself into. “If it weren’t for him, Jasper would be dead. At least talk to him.”

“It seems he is awake,” the other woman said, and Bellamy turned his head to see a tall woman talking up to him and crossing her arms. “Who are you?”

“Bellamy,” he mumbled, sitting up. “Are you Luna?”

“Yes. Why have you come to Floukru?” she snapped, not beating around the bush.

“I don’t really have a home anymore,” he explained. “Azgeda was only my home because of my mother and my sister. My mother is dead now, and my sister has left.”

“She is with Lincoln,” Clarke chimed in, and recognition flashed across Luna’s face.

“Why can’t you find a home with them?” Luna followed up, and Bellamy sat all the way up.

“I used to work for Queen Nia… and she had me do some things that would make it unsafe for me to be near Trikru,” he said, and Luna’s eyes widened. “But that is all in the past. I don’t want any part of that anymore,” he explained.

Luna turned back to look at Clarke who had a nervous expression on her face. Bellamy hadn’t considered what a big risk this might be for her… wondering if something bad would happen to Clarke if anyone found out the real reason Bellamy was here. “Do you really think he should stay?” Luna asked, and Clarke’s eyes met Bellamy’s. He swallowed nervously, and her eyes softened a bit.

“Yes,” Clarke replied, locking eyes with Luna confidently… and he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. She trusted him enough to let him stay, and the guilt started to wash over him. He was going to betray that trust… and he hated himself for it.

“Then, you will be the one to keep an eye on him… just in case,” she replied, looking over her shoulder at Bellamy with a skeptical look in his eyes.

 

* * *

 

Clarke set him up in a room with Monty and Jasper, who were both very warm toward Bellamy. The two of them quickly filled him in on everything he needed to know about living on the rig. They talked excitedly about the friends they were going to introduce him to, and Bellamy listened carefully for Derrick’s name… but they never mentioned it.

Raven was the next to warm up to him, saving a seat beside her at dinner and introducing him to Monroe and Fox. He learned where each of them was from, learned how they found out about Floukru, and learned that Clarke was Luna’s second. He only caught flashes of Clarke throughout dinner, which Raven explained was because they needed extra hands in medical today.

He waited for everyone to interrogate him, to want his story about how he decided to stop fighting… but no one else asked. Day after day, he woke up terrified that this would be the day that someone figured out he was not who he said he was… but it never happened.

Instead, he met someone new each day, helped prepare the fish for dinner, listened to Jasper and Monty’s ridiculous stories. “Does Clarke not spend a lot of time with you guys?” he finally asked one night, confused as to why he had hardly seen her since he arrived. She was supposed to be keeping an eye on him.

“Normally, yeah. But hanging out with us usually means hanging out with Finn, so she’s been a little distant,” Monty explained, and Bellamy opened his mouth to ask for details before slamming it shut. It wasn’t his business and he already knew the gist. Finn was obsessed with her even though he was supposed to be happy with Raven. And he shouldn’t care anyway. He was just here until he found Derrick. He didn’t need to start caring about Clarke’s personal life.

“Remind me to bring her dinner tonight so she doesn’t skip again,” Jasper mumbled.

However, Jasper had a little too much to drink at dinner, so Bellamy grabbed dinner for Clarke and headed toward medical. He found her cleaning up a wound on Adria’s knee. “At least tell me you won,” Clarke snickered, and she rolled her eyes.

“Of course, I did. But he still tripped me,” she huffed.

“Adria,” Clarke smirked, popping her head up to look at her, “didn’t this whole thing start because you tripped him earlier?”

“Maybe,” Adria muttered, and Clarke started chuckling. When Adria’s head turned in Bellamy’s direction, her eyes widened in excitement. “Hi, Bellamy!”

“Hey,” he replied, and Clarke glanced up at him and smiled. “Clarke, I brought you some dinner since you seem to be skipping your meals.”

“Oh, thank you,” she said as she wrapped the bandage around her leg. “I’ve been meaning to get something, but it’s been a crazy night,” she explained, and he set the plate down on the table beside her. He watched as she finished up with Adria and laughed once Adria went skipping off.

“Do you make a habit of forgetting to eat?” he teased, and she raised an eyebrow at him.

“Do you make a habit of keeping tabs on me?” she retorted before taking a bite.

“Jasper and Monty mentioned you have a tendency to skip your meals. Jasper would have brought you something had he not gotten drunk tonight,” he explained, and she furrowed her brows in concern. “He’s fine. Monty is sober.”

“Good,” was all she said before taking another bite. Bellamy swallowed, figuring this was as good a time as any to leave her alone. But when he looked up at her again, she was eyeing him curiously. “So, in a few days, we’re sending a small group to the shore to do a few trades before winter hits.”

Bellamy cocked his head to the side, wondering why she was telling him this.

“Do you want to go with them?” she asked, and he swallowed. “I just thought… you might want to visit your sister.” His eyes softened a bit, realizing he would get the chance to see Octavia again soon.

Then, his practical mind realized this was the exit from Floukru he needed. If he could somehow find Derrick on here before that boat took off, he could disappear into the woods and escape back to Azgeda. “I would love to,” he replied, and a strange expression washed across Clarke’s face. “Thank you, Clarke.”

 

* * *

 

He didn’t find Derrick in time, despite his best efforts to locate him. He almost got to the point where he just started asking people if they knew who Derrick was, but he couldn’t draw that kind of suspicion while he was still on the rig. While Clarke wasn’t constantly watching him, he knew enough about her to know that if he started acting strangely, it would get back to her and she would figure out what he was up to quickly.

So, he enjoyed his brief visit with Octavia, helped with the trades, and helped carry the furs back onto the boat. He took the vile without blinking when Raven offered it to him, although this time he didn’t have a stubborn blonde to catch him when he lost consciousness.

He was almost relieved when he woke up on the rig again. There was something about this place that was becoming familiar to him. He liked almost everyone he met. He didn’t miss the constant training… or the paranoia that came with working under Queen Nia. He could relax here. He could feel peace here.

He decided to go thank Clarke again for giving him this opportunity to see his sister, but she wasn’t in medical. “She was falling asleep, so I sent her back to bed,” one of the men there explained. “But I can tell her you stopped by,” he offered, but Bellamy waved him off as he left.

When Clarke didn’t show up for dinner, Bellamy took the excuse to see her and brought her a plate to her room. She opened the door sleepily, her hair such a tangled mess that it was hard for him not to laugh. Her eyes widened in confusion when she saw him, almost like she was surprised. “What are you doing here?” she asked.

“Bringing you food,” he retorted, and she held the door open so he could step in. Her room was much smaller than most of the others, probably because it was just for one person. The wall beside her bed was covered in small sketches, many of which featured the faces of his new friends in Floukru. “You’re an artist?” he asked, and she blinked a few times before looking over at her wall.

“Uh, I just like to draw,” she mumbled, taking the plate from his hands. Liking to draw was one thing, but this was a talent. He never would have guessed she was an artist, but it seemed to make sense. “You really didn’t need to bring me food.”

“Someone’s gotta make sure you’re eating,” he teased, but his tone fell flat as soon as he wondered who would be making sure she ate regularly once he left Floukru for good. He jerked that thought from his head quickly, not liking the strange pang he got in his chest every time he thought about leaving. “And I wanted to say thank you for arranging for me to go to shore.”

Her face finally softened, but her eyes still seemed a bit confused. “How was your sister?”

“She’s great,” Bellamy grinned, and Clarke sat down on the edge of her bed before taking a bite. “She’s learning a lot about healing from Lincoln.” When Clarke didn’t say anything in response, he just kept talking, telling her all about the journey, about how happy Octavia seemed, about the haggling problems they encountered… and she just nodded along, listening attentively.

He wasn’t sure how it happened, but hours passed, and he still hadn’t left Clarke’s room. He was sitting opposite her on top of her bed, talking about what it was like to grow up in Azgeda and explaining what happened to his mother. He learned a bit about her too… not enough to know how she ended up here, but enough to understand why.

 

* * *

 

Bellamy started seeing more of Clarke after that night. She would plop down next to him at meals, and her face would light up whenever he visited her throughout the day. Then, one day, she just randomly decided to hug him when she saw him… and he played that moment over and over again as he tried to fall asleep that night.

He wasn’t sure when it happened, but slowly, his days became full of brief moments of physical contact with her. Sometimes it was just him nudging her shoulder. Other times, it was her grabbing his hand to get his attention when she was excited about something. And each time she touched him, it felt like she had started a fire underneath his skin. By the time Monty threw a little party, he and Clarke were at the place where they would drunkenly curl up beside each other… and his body wanted to scream the second she left his side.

The day after that party, he didn’t see Clarke at all. He figured it was probably a rough day in medical and that he would see her soon… but he couldn’t ignore the horrible, longing feeling whenever he thought about her.

He took to sulking in his room after dinner, knowing that he was going to be in such a bad mood that no one wanted to be around him. “She isn’t avoiding you,” Monty said as he walked in, causing Bellamy to jump. “She’s avoiding Finn.”

Bellamy furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, wondering how Monty had figured out what was bothering Bellamy so quickly.

“Raven found out about Finn’s… obsession with Clarke last night and they broke up,” Monty said, and Bellamy sat up straighter.

“What is the deal with Finn and Clarke anyway?” he asked, wincing at his own words.

“He’s in love with Clarke,” Monty huffed, and Bellamy waited to hear what Clarke felt towards Finn. He remembered the way she wanted to get away from him all that time ago back on the land, but maybe it was just because she was hurt. Maybe she really did feel the same way about him and somehow Bellamy hadn’t realized it. “She’s not in love with him.”

Bellamy let out a breath before realizing that Monty was watching him closely with a smirk on his lips. “I was just curious,” Bellamy snapped.

“You have nothing to worry about,” Monty teased, and a blush creeped to Bellamy’s cheeks. “You know, she’s just hiding out in her room,” was all he offered before stepping back out.

Bellamy lied down on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. He probably shouldn’t go see Clarke. He reminded himself that he had a mission and that he had already gotten sidetracked enough. The last thing he needed was something that would make it harder for him to leave.

Then, he started thinking about how upset Clarke must feel right now, how guilty she must be over the whole thing. Knowing her, she was probably blaming only herself… and that thought was enough to push Bellamy out of bed.

When he knocked on Clarke’s door, she answered with a huge smile once she saw that it was him, and he tried to ignore how his heart started pounding at the sight of her beautiful smile. “I heard what happened,” he offered as Clarke pulled him in for a hug. She was soft and warm against him, and he felt like his heart would combust at the soft hum she made when he wrapped his arms around her. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” she murmured before tucking her head into his chest. “Better now.”

When she finally drew her head back, Bellamy locked eyes with her. He could feel how much of a mistake it was coming here, but he couldn’t bring himself to leave either. He should have known the second he set his eyes on Clarke all that time ago that she would be the most dangerous thing about this mission. Bellamy found himself wanting something he shouldn’t have, but her eyes pleaded with him anyway, practically begging him to give in like how sirens would lure in sailors.

“I should probably get back before Jasper and Monty wonder where I went,” Bellamy said, pulling away. Then, Clarke’s soft hand found his, and his entire body froze.

“You don’t want to stay?” she asked, her voice sounding heartbroken. He forced himself to look back into those eyes… but he found himself lost in them. “Please, will you just stay with me tonight?”

He needed to get out. He needed to break out of this spell. He needed to go now otherwise he would never be able to leave. _But you don’t ever want to leave_ , a voice murmured in his head… and it was right. He didn’t want to leave. He wanted her.

He was still paralyzed in his stance, knowing he needed to go but also that he never wanted to, when Clarke reached up and cupped his cheek. His eyes dropped to her lips, desperate for just one taste of what he couldn’t have.

His resolve broke down the second her soft lips met his, his entire body snapping into focus as he pulled her tight against him, bruising her lips against his as if she were water and he was dying of thirst.

 

* * *

 

Most mornings, he woke up to feeling Clarke comb her fingers through his curls… which was now his favorite way to wake up. This morning, he woke up to a knocking on Clarke’s door. Bellamy whined as she crawled over him, still wearing his shirt as she stumbled toward the door. He pulled the pillow over his head as he rolled over.

“What’s going on?” Clarke asked he heard the door open.

“We have a new person seeking to come to Floukru and Luna wants your input,” the man said.

“Couldn’t this have waited until I was actually awake?” Clarke huffed.

“You’re normally up by now, I just figured…” the man trailed off. “Oh, I didn’t realize.”

Bellamy rolled back over, waving sleepily at the man who was feeling incredibly awkward. “It’s fine. Tell Luna I’ll be up shortly,” Clarke replied. “Oh, and Derrick?”

Bellamy’s head snapped up in a panic, having found the man that he had been looking for this entire time.

“Ask her to cut down Raven’s hours. Her leg is bothering her again,” Clarke said before shutting the door. Bellamy blinked a few times. His mission was almost over. He found Derrick. All he had to do was get information out of him, and he could go… and never come back. “Hey, are you okay?” Clarke asked as she climbed back in bed beside him.

“Of course,” he lied as she pressed a lazy kiss to his cheek.

Bellamy wasn’t sure what he was thinking was going to happen. It was always his plan to find Derrick and then find a way off the rig. It was what Nia sent him to do. But in the time it took to find Derrick, Bellamy made friends here, he settled in, he fell for Clarke… and now he was going to have to leave it all behind.

He found himself sulking most of the day. Luckily, no one dared ask him why. His friends left him alone when he decided to eat by himself at dinner.

Then, Derrick plopped down in the seat across from him. “Hey, I just wanted to apologize for earlier. I had no idea that anyone was with Clarke. If I had known, I wouldn’t have interrupted,” he said, and Bellamy swallowed. Right in front of him was the perfect opportunity to befriend the man, to open the door to finding out what he knew about Lexa… Bellamy should be thrilled.

“It’s no problem. We were both just waking up anyway,” Bellamy replied, and Derrick started going off on a tangent about how happy he is that Clarke has someone. Bellamy tuned in and out, his own thoughts too loud to really hear what Derrick was saying.

He found himself wondering if he could just leave right now, head back to his room and pretend like he never figured out who Derrick was. Bellamy could stay here as long as he didn’t have the answers he came for.

The conversation ended with Derrick inviting Bellamy over for drinks with some of his friends, which Bellamy had to accept. And Bellamy tried to enjoy himself when he went… but it was hard when he knew that if Derrick just slipped up even a little and gave Bellamy what he came here for, this would be his last night in Floukru. Bellamy wouldn’t get to say goodbye to anyone, not even Clarke. He would just disappear, taking a boat out in the middle of the night, never to return.

Bellamy fought the urge to change the subject when one of Derrick’s friends mentioned Lexa. He listened, knowing he might never get an opportunity like this again. They all started joking around about how Derrick broke out of the tower, revealing every weak entry point that Azgeda would ever need to know about.

“I still don’t know how you made it out of Polis alive,” one of them teased, and Bellamy bit his lip.

“Costia helped me,” Derrick replied.

“Who is Costia?” Bellamy blurted out, and Derrick let out a sigh.

“The only person Lexa loves enough not to punish for helping out a traitor like me,” he replied, and Bellamy nodded along. Now, Bellamy had more than enough to satisfy Nia… and he felt like he was going to throw up.

 

* * *

 

That night, Bellamy waited up for Clarke in her room. As soon as she shut the door, he was on her, pressing kisses up and down her throat and dragging her toward the bed. “What is going on with you?” she giggled, and he pulled away so he could tug his shirt off.

“I just missed you today,” he replied, and Clarke pulled her own shirt off. As soon as it was off, he pushed her back onto the bed, letting his lips trail down to her chest. He might not be able to say goodbye to her, but maybe tonight could an apology for what he was about to do. He would love her like this just one last time so he could memorize every detail of her.

Clarke didn’t protest when his kisses became hungrier. The moans escaping her lips went straight to his cock as he buried himself between her thighs. He kept his pace slow, knowing that the second this was over, he would have to leave her. This was the very last time he would touch her, kiss her, hear her… and he was going to savor each second as he worshipped every inch of her.

And when it was over, he held her tight against him as she drifted off to sleep. He waited a few minutes before untangling himself from her, tugging his shirt and pants on as quietly as he could.

“Don’t go,” he heard her murmur as he stepped toward the door. He turned back to look at her as she sleepily sat up.

“I’m just heading back to my room,” he lied.

“No, you’re not,” she replied, and his stomach dropped. She knew.

“Clarke,” he whispered as he stepped back toward her, her blue eyes welling up with tears.

“Just stay. You don’t have to go back,” she murmured.

“You knew and you brought me here anyway?” he asked, and she reached out to grab his hand, pulling him toward the bed.

“I didn’t know for sure,” she sighed, and he sat down beside her, brows furrowed in confusion. “But I had a feeling you were lying to me about why you wanted to come here. And then you started talking about what happened to you, and you looked so lost when you had to say goodbye to your sister… I just thought that maybe you could find peace here.”

He bit his lip, trying to hold back tears. She was right. He did find peace here. He was happy here. There were no wars to fight, no plotting to do. It was just a large family who seemed to really love each other and look out for one another. It was starting to feel like home.

“I gave you an easy escape when I arranged for you to go back to shore. I really didn’t think you would come back,” she explained, her eyes dropping to their joined hands. “And then you did, and I was so happy to see you.”

“Azgeda is my home,” he said, more to himself than anyone.

“Are you happy there?” she asked, and he swallowed. No, he wasn’t happy in Azgeda. He was miserable there and without a real family. “Are you happy here?”

“Yes,” he replied, and she slid closer to him.

“Are you happy with me?” she asked, and his eyes shot up to meet hers. How could she even ask that? He was so ridiculously happy with her. Yet, her eyes looked uncertain as she waited for his answer… as if there was any way Bellamy could have avoided falling desperately in love with her.

“Yes,” he reassured, and she pressed a slow kiss to his cheek.

“Then, stay,” she pleaded. “I won’t tell anyone why you came here. You could just stay here with me and be happy.”

He let go of her hand to cup her face between his hands. He pressed a slow kiss to her lips, feeling her tears burn into his skin.

“I need you,” she murmured against his lips, and no other words had ever sounded so beautiful. “Stay with me.”

“Okay,” he replied, and her eyes lit up with excitement before she started peppering his face frantically with kisses. He chuckled as she knocked him backwards, her kisses becoming more hungry and desperate as she climbed on top of him.

He finally felt at peace, and he wasn’t about to leave.

**Author's Note:**

> comments and kudos are always appreciated. thanks for reading! come yell at me on tumblr or twitter (@asroarke)


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